Giant corporations embrace the use of adequate human resource (HR) practices in order to realize their goals. HR practices are complex in nature and focus on the best measures to empower the targeted employees (Kinicki & Fugate, 2015). The approaches make it easier for organizational leaders to mentor their followers, address emerging issues, promote cohesion, and offer continuous support. Companies that embrace these attributes realize their business goals much faster. Google is one of the most innovative companies in the world today. It is also a leader in its industry. The company has succeeded because of its ability to manufacture superior products and implement powerful HR practices that can mentor the targeted employees. The organizational culture associated with Google Incorporation continues to play a positive role in order to meet the changing needs of the customers. The managers and HR leaders at Google understand how employee empowerment is a powerful function of organizational performance. The purpose of this paper is to analyze Google Corporation with respect to organizational leadership. The discussion will focus on leadership as the driving force behind Google’s exemplary HR practices.
Situation Faced by Google in 2014
In 2014, Google Corporation shared its workforce data with the world. The released information showed conclusively that the company was still struggling with the issue of diversity. According to the firm’s People Operations’ Vice President, Laszlo Bock, Google had not achieved its goals in terms of diversity. This was the case because the company’s workforce was mainly characterized by men. Over 70 percent of the workforce was comprised of men (McGregor, 2014). The other unique revelation was “that 61 percent of its total workforce was white” (McGregor, 2014, para. 2). The company had done very little to hire individuals from minority groups such as Hispanics, Asian Americans, and African Americans.
The situation was observed to be worse when it came to senior or technological jobs. For instance, it was reported that 17 percent of hi-tech jobs were preserved for women (McGregor, 2014). That being the case, the company was dealing with a major problem that could affect its global image and make it impossible to achieve the targeted business objectives. According to the report released in 2014, it was indicated that the firm had been reluctant to release sensitize data on diversity (Rushdi & Kamal, 2014).
Fortunately, the HR managers and leaders at the company indicated clearly that it was the right time to transform the situation. It was reported that the company was willing to recruit more women than ever before (McGregor, 2014). The strategy would make it easier for the company to change the situation and be in a better position to attract more workers. The leaders at the company decided to hire and empower more employees from different racial groups. By so doing, the company would be able to improve its diversity statistics, drive performance, and promote the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR).
With poor diversity in the workplace, the leaders indicated clearly that it was impossible for the HR department to implement powerful strategies that could address the emerging needs of some of the workers. Rushdi and Kamal (2014) believe strongly that the issue of diversity can either promote or affect a firm’s organizational culture. It would, therefore, be agreeable that the company was finding it hard to support the changing needs of most of the workers from different minority groups.
More often than not, workers from diverse backgrounds will embrace the power of teamwork where there is a balance in representation. Whenever the issue of diversity is ignored, the workers will find it hard to work together and focus on the best practices that can result in improved performance (McGregor, 2014). It is agreeable that the issue of diversity must have been affecting the effectiveness of communication, decision-making, empowerment, and motivation at the company.
After the report was released in 2014, the HR leaders at Google realized that it was the right time to implement new measures in order to transform the situation. The company embarked on a new journey aimed at recruiting more women and empowering them to occupy both hi-tech and managerial positions (Rushdi & Kamal, 2014). This strategy was embraced in order to ensure the firm was on the right path. Within the past two years, evidence shows conclusively that the company has expanded its operations across the globe. Google Incorporation has also continued with the best human resource practices in order to ensure the employees are guided and empowered.
Specific attributes such as empowerment, power, and traits theory have been embraced in order to ensure the firm realizes its business goals. The recruited employees from minority races and groups are empowered continuously in order to become part of the company’s business model (McGregor, 2014). This initiative has made it possible for the company to become a leading player in the global industry.
Organizational Leadership at Google Corporation
I am planning to analyze and study Google Corporation in this paper. Google is a company that focuses on the power of personal attitudes. Such attitudes influence employee behavior. The company celebrates various holidays and provides unusual and comfortable workplaces. The company is always interested in the workers than in the customers. This practice has led to increased levels of job satisfaction. As a result, satisfied workers become more productive and empowered. Talented workers are identified, hired, and empowered in order to come up with new ideas that can transform the experiences of the customers (Kinicki & Fugate, 2015). The leaders offer the most appropriate environment that is capable of supporting the changing needs of the employees.
At Google, every leader embraces the best strategies in order to guide, empower, and support the changing needs of the employees. To begin with, the HR managers embrace the most appropriate leadership concepts in order to ensure more employees are empowered. At the top of Google’s leadership model is the power to communicate the company’s vision to the employees (Rushdi & Kamal, 2014). The workers are then empowered and guided in order to improve the company’s products and services. The employees are allowed to work in inconvenient environments so that they can focus on the goals and objectives of the company.
The leadership strategy goes further to empower the employees using enviable benefits. Such of these perks include wholesome food, snacks, gyms, massage rooms, car washes, bike tracks, fast internet connection, and pets. The workers are allowed to embrace every practice that has the potential to improve performance. The employees are also allowed to dress in casual clothes (Gharakhani, Rahmati, Farrokhi, & Faradmandian, 2013).
This analysis shows that leadership conclusively at Google is all about facilitating the performance of every employee. This practice has made it easier for employees to become innovative, skilled, and successful. The leaders embrace the most appropriate approaches in order to empower the workers. For instance, the workers are encouraged to form teams depending on the nature of the targeted goals (Rushdi & Kamal, 2014). Team building is embraced and guided by the employees without the influence of the HR managers. The company believes strongly that the workers should be guided in order to feel motivated. They are allowed to design their unique leadership philosophies in order to meet the goals of the company.
The HR managers have created an admirable environment that supports the welfare of the employees. The leaders take time in order to know the workers much better. This understanding becomes a guiding model that can ensure the unique needs of the employees are clearly identified and addressed. Leadership is a powerful approach that creates room for new empowerment strategies (Rushdi & Kamal, 2014). Workers who perform better are recognized and empowered in order to continue supporting the firm’s business model.
Another aspect of the leadership philosophy implemented at the company is that the workers are allowed to own their unique problems. That being the case, the workers go-ahead to address the problems using the firm’s resources and policies. The managers go further to implement powerful measures to address the major challenges that might affect business performance. The horizontal leadership strategy at Google explains why “the employees are allowed and guided to function outside the firm’s hierarchy” (Gharakhani et al., 2013, p. 47). HR managers provide the most appropriate incentives and strategies whenever evaluating or reviewing the performance of the workers. The impartiality embraced whenever evaluating the workers encourages them to focus on better practices and initiatives that can eventually drive performance.
Experts believe strongly that the nature and quality of leadership implemented at Google Incorporation is what promotes motivation, effective communication, and team building (Steiber & Alange, 2013). The workers become empowered in order to pursue the goals of the company. This kind of practice has gone further to promote the best strategies that make it an outstanding performer in the global computer and internet industries.
Studies have revealed that effective leadership is a powerful attribute that promotes some of the best practices in the workplace. At Google, effective leadership has created the best environment whereby the workers can communicate with one another effectively. The leaders and HR managers communicate the company’s mission and vision appropriately. The leadership approach promotes the power of motivation and encourages the workers to form the best teams that can deliver desirable results (Steiber & Alange, 2013). Conflicts are taken seriously by the leaders and resolved in a timely manner. That being the case, the leadership philosophy implemented at Google is a key factor that has continued to influence its organizational performance.
Recommendations: How Google Should Act
The presented situation exposes a major weakness in the organization’s culture. This is the case because the firm’s workforce does not fulfill the expectations of many individuals. The company cannot be ranked as one of the leading ethical or responsible companies. More often than not, ethical companies are characterized by equality in the workplace and the empowerment of employees from diverse backgrounds (Gharakhani et al., 2013). Such firms implement powerful strategies in order to ensure individuals from different cultural groups, religious faiths, and genders are hired to support the targeted mission.
The report released in 2014 tainted the outstanding image of the company. The diversity issue was capable of affecting Google’s business model because many customers always prefer doing business with ethical firms. Whenever such challenges arise in an organization, the best initiative is to implement a powerful initiative that can transform the situation (Gharakhani et al., 2013). The leaders at the company should be on the frontline to implement a new strategy that can ensure more people are attracted to the company and eventually deal with the diversity problem.
The HR management will begin by identifying specific areas and departments that are affected by the diversity problem. For example, the situation experienced in 2014 revealed that Google has preferred males and white employees. Specific positions and jobs were allocated for either men or individuals from majority racial groups. Consequently, the number of workers from minority groups was still low. Although the company was recording profits, the issue of inclusivity was not given the required attention (Gharakhani et al., 2013). After analyzing different departments, HR managers can go further to identify competent individuals from minority groups such as Hispanics, Asian Americans, and African Americans. The agreeable fact is that individuals from these cultural backgrounds have what it takes to drive performance and make Google successful.
Basically, it is the right time for the HR managers at Google Incorporation to embrace the use of powerful change theory. Kurt Lewin’s change theory can be embraced by the HR department in order to deliver positive results (Owoyemi & Ekwoaba, 2014). The first phase of the theory is known as unfreezing (Owoyemi & Ekwoaba, 2014). During this stage, the company’s leaders will prepare the stakeholders and followers for real change. The individuals can be involved in the unique gaps that are making it impossible for Google to become the most revered firm in the industry. A new wave of motivation will be developed in order to ensure every follower is aware of the unique benefits for the company.
The second stage is to implement the intended change. This phase will be used to hire new workers and make them part of the organization. During this period, HR leaders must monitor and address the major challenges that might arise (Kinicki & Fugate, 2015). Coaching, mentorship, training, empowerment are some of the best practices that will characterize the stage. The third phase will be to refreeze (Owoyemi & Ekwoaba, 2014). During this stage, the HR managers will establish the intended stability and encourage the workers to accept the implemented changes. These three stages will, therefore, ensure the situation is addressed in a professional manner.
The strategy should be expanded in order to ensure more people are hired in different countries across the world. This goal is possible because Google has its presence in every continent. The decision to hire local workers in different countries will make it easier for the firm to realize its goals much faster (Kinicki & Fugate, 2015). The approach will also address the cultural gaps and language barriers that have been recorded in different countries across the world. The move will also transform the firm’s image and make it one of the socially responsible and ethical firms in the industry.
Google’s leadership philosophy should be developed further in order to meet the unique needs of hired workers from different backgrounds. Female workers should be attracted and empowered at the company. The leadership approach will ensure every emerging conflict is addressed in a timely manner (Gharakhani et al., 2013). This goal should be taken seriously because conflicts will always arise whenever new strategies are implemented in an organization.
HR managers should go further to come up with new channels for effective communication. One of the unique roles of leadership is empowering the targeted followers and encouraging them to focus on the targeted objectives (Owoyemi & Ekwoaba, 2014). That being the case, the managers at Google will promote effective communication in the workplace. The new employees (commonly known as Noodles) will be oriented, guided, empowered, and mentored in order to support the company’s business model.
The leadership approach will also be expanded to promote cohesion. Since the new change is aimed at addressing a unique challenge that has been affecting the company, it will be appropriate to group the workers in such a way that they can mentor and support one another. This goal can be achieved by designing a cohesive workplace that embraces the idea of teamwork (Gharakhani et al., 2013). The developed teams will be required to focus on specific objectives and goals. The teams should be characterized by leaders who understand the goals outlined by the company.
After the new workers are oriented and made part of the company’s workforce, the next thing will be to continue promoting the unique cultural attributes that have defined Google Corporation for several years. This means that the employees will be empowered using a wide range of offerings and opportunities. The employees will be guided and encouraged to pursue their goals and eventually innovate new products that can revolutionize the world (Owoyemi & Ekwoaba, 2014). By so doing, the followers will be willing to work hard and support the company’s business model.
The above practices will be supported by some of the best ideas in the working environment, such as collaboration, motivation, creativity, and empowerment. The diverse workforce will be mentored to focus on specific goals and practices that have the potential to transform the company’s performance. Monitoring and supervision should be done in order to ensure every emerging issue is addressed before it gets out of hand (Steiber & Alange, 2013). This approach is necessary because a new change usually encounters opposition and might take time before being appreciated by every stakeholder.
Effectiveness of Google Corporation: Strategies to Improve Organizational Effectiveness
Why Google is Effective
Leadership is a driving factor at Google Incorporation that has created the best environment for the employees. The HR managers begin by targeting and hiring talented workers who can transform the company’s performance. The leaders offer powerful insights that promote collaboration and teamwork in every department (Steiber & Alange, 2013). Some best practices, such as communication, employee motivation, and conflict resolutions, have emerged because of the leadership strategy implemented at the company.
The idea of teamwork is developed in such a way that the unique needs of every worker are addressed in a timely manner. The workers are encouraged to support one another through information sharing and collaboration. The teams are characterized by competent leaders who can communicate the organization’s mission to the followers (McGregor, 2014). Consequently, the employees have been able to come up with innovative projects and products that have transformed the company’s image.
Stress management is embraced by the leaders in order to address the challenges facing the workers. The workers are equipped with the best resources and opportunities that can result in stress reduction. The environment is designed in such a way that it promotes the effectiveness of every worker. The cultural attributes and rituals embraced at the company echo its organizational behavior. Combined with appropriate communication channels, Google has become one of the most revered companies that have the best organizational practices (Steiber & Alange, 2013). The firm should continue to embrace these leadership attributes in order to deliver quality services and products to its global customers.
Recommendations to Improve Organizational Effectiveness
The presented analysis shows clearly that Google is a multinational corporation associated with organizational effectiveness. However, the company stands a chance to benefit from various strategies or practices that can improve organizational effectiveness. It is agreeable that the company’s leadership has been on the frontline to support a dynamic culture that focuses on the welfare of every employee (Steiber & Alange, 2013). The workers are usually encouraged to work hard and come up with new innovations that can redefine the firm’s performance in the industry. The leaders can go further to promote organizational ethics, values, and reputation. This approach can make it easier for workers to feel empowered and go a step further to transform Google’s reputation.
More often than not, specific employees are encouraged to pursue their unique goals and projects that resonate with Google’s business model. The leaders at the company can go further to embrace the use of different rituals and awards, depending on the achievements of different individuals and teams (Kinicki & Fugate, 2015). This practice will revitalize the spirit experienced at the workplace and eventually promote business performance.
Teamwork is a unique attribute characterizing Google’s working environment. The majority of the employees are guided and empowered in order to focus on the company’s goals and vision (Kinicki & Fugate, 2015). The concept can be developed further in order to ensure more employees from diverse backgrounds are willing to interact with each other and pursue the targeted common goals. This kind of approach will eventually transform the company’s performance.
Leadership is a multi-faceted practice that examines the unique attributes and functions of an organization. That being the case, the leaders and HR managers should go further to support the firm’s corporate social responsibility (CSR). This goal can be achieved by ensuring that the employees in different parts of the world are encouraged to promote specific practices that can result in bonding and delivery of societal support (Owoyemi & Ekwoaba, 2014). For instance, the employees can be empowered to plant trees frequently while promoting the concept of teamwork. Such initiatives can ensure the employees are guided and equipped with appropriate concepts that can promote the level of performance.
The leaders and their followers should always engage in open problem-solving. The leaders should encourage the workers to feel empowered and be ready to address their problems and those of their workmates. The concepts of teamwork and motivation will also encourage the employees to address every emerging issue (Kinicki & Fugate, 2015). When these attributes and practices are embraced, it will be possible for Google to address most of the challenges affecting performance and eventually become the leading competitor in every segment of the global technology industry.
References
Gharakhani, D., Rahmati, H., Farrokhi, M., & Faradmandian, A. (2013). Total quality management and organizational performance. American Journal of Industrial Engineering, 1(3), 46-50. Web.
Kinicki, A., & Fugate, M. (2015). Organizational behavior: Practical problem-solving approach. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
McGregor, J. (2014). Google admits it has a diversity problem. The Washington Post. Web.
Owoyemi, O., & Ekwoaba, J. (2014). Organizational culture: A tool for management to control, motivate, and enhance employees’ performance. American Journal of Business and Management, 3(3), 168-177. Web.
Rushdi, Y., & Kamal, A. (2014). An evaluation of Google’s organizational & recruitment culture. Management, 4(4), 98-101. Web.
Steiber, A., & Alange, S. (2013). A corporate system for continuous innovation: The case of Google Inc. European Journal of Innovation Management, 16(2), 243-264. Web.